Here and Now
by Giggly-Girl
Summary: Penny doesn't like the direction her life is headed so she decides to make some changes, starting with her relationship with Leonard. The backlash is something she wasn't expecting but the end results will help her find all the things in life she always wanted and more. AU, Shenny
1. Chapter 1

**AN**: Happy December everyone. My birthday is on the 5th and as a challenge to myself, I thought I'd post a story and go through the exciting motions here with you guys.

This is a Shenny story and picks up in Season 4 Episode 17: The Toast Derivation. Completely AU and the timeline was obliterated.

I hope you like it.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own The Big Bang Theory but this plot and storyline is 100% mine.

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Penny was never one to dwell over failed relationships. Anyone who wasn't willing to be with her and not her assets, was a cheating dog, or didn't respect her wasn't worth her time. She could pick up the shattered pieces of her heart, staple them back together, and move on quicker than her Aunt Sue could down the Christmas eggnog. But, she was so caught up over her _final_ break-up with Leonard that it was becoming sad.

It wasn't really her break-up that bothered her, it was the end results.

The first time she broke up with Leonard, he sulked for weeks, played his melancholy music but when the next girl flirted with him it was as if she never existed. She preferred it that way. It was easier to be his friend. Maybe she broke him this time. Leonard was never an aggressive person. He was always sweet tempered and even when he did get annoyed, it boiled over quickly and he'd settle down. That all changed when they broke up the third and last time. He became angry and controlling.

He told their friends not to talk to her anymore, that they couldn't see her. It was a bitch move that she expected from Kurt, not him. The part that surprised her was they actually listened. She was supposed to have girls' night with Amy and Bernadette a few days later but they didn't show. In fact, when she called them to see what was the holdup they didn't answer. No one returned her texts and Bernadette stopped talking to her at work on a personal level, only when she needed to. Normally, she'd say screw them all, she didn't need them. Heck, they weren't her normal type of friends anyway.

But . . . she had grown to really like them.

This wouldn't bother her as much as it did if she had not done a complete three-sixty to keep her relationship with Leonard going strong. None of her other friends liked him and they often invited her out. So to keep him from feeling any more insecure than he already was, she declined each one until they eventually stopped calling. It was shitty and she promised her Nana that she'd never change herself for some boy like her older sister did but she'd forgotten all about it. Maybe it was the fact that Leonard was the smartest guy she'd ever dated. Her life was going up in flames and he felt like the only accomplish she could hold on to. She was 25 years old, had been in California for six years, had busted her ass going from audition to audition but she had nothing to show for it but a hemorrhoid commercial. She had a shoe addiction that kept her from having real food in her house and made her late on her bills. She needed something, _anything_ to make her feel like the past six years weren't a complete waste.

After the last go around, she began to see how lackluster their relationship was. She didn't feel anything for him beyond friendship and she found herself indulging in alcohol more when they were together. She was just tired. She was tired of that stale feeling her life had. Every day felt like déjà vu. She wanted excitement and romance. She wanted more for her career. She just . . . she wanted better than _this_ for her life. One day, she'd like to have kids and a husband and an awesome career she was proud of and she didn't see any of that happening while dating Leonard.

So, she decided to do a complete overhaul on her life, starting with the man she was involved with. Next, she decided to take her acting career seriously. She called up her dad and begged him to let her have access to her college funds, an account that was set up for her since she was little and was added to yearly by her mom, dad, nana, and aunt until she was 20 years old. She hadn't had access to it since her failed Community College days. Her father was adamant about that money going untouched unless she was going to school. So she called him up with a plan to reset the order of her life. On one of her last botched auditions, she made friends with a tall, pretty brunette named Ann who told her about this amazing school she was going to for acting lessons. Penny felt she didn't really need acting lessons, experience had taught her all she needed to know, but it didn't hurt to have some actual lessons.

She also rearranged her working schedule at the Cheesecake Factory. She was offered a manager position and she accepted. She now works Monday through Thursday evening shifts bleeding into late nights. It was better pay and she was allowed to have a three day weekend. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday she would have class and any time between would be spent going on as many auditions as possible.

She had to make a lot of admissions to make this work and to be happy with it. She didn't drink anymore, not hard liquor at list. She would occasionally have a small glass of wine with her dinner when she could splurge for a really good home cooked meal. She absolutely had to become a morning person and so the eleven o' clock rule was abolished—although she had no one to break that rule. It was hard but not impossible to accomplish. Exercising always made her feel energized so she took to waking at seven every morning and going for a run. Since she started being more responsible with her spending, she no longer needed to borrow food from her neighbors so she would follow her morning run with scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and a cup of coffee. If she didn't have to go to class, she'd spend her time going back and forth to auditions, going home and breaking for lunch, and then squeezing one or two more auditions in before it was time to get ready for her shift.

She also started spending more time with her manager, Jane, so that she could gain some perspective into the type of roles she was looking for. They'd meet and have lunch twice a month between phone conversations to talk about what was new in the land of acting. Jane, for the most part, was surprised and excited for the change. She always thought Penny had potential. She was glad she was finally bringing her A-game.

She had landed a few commercials here and there, including a ten commercial contract deal with _JCPenny_. It wasn't the big leagues, not by far, but it kept her bills paid on time, she was able to have her own wi-fi and cable, and she was also able to keep her fridge stocked with fresh, delicious, non-instant food. She knew how to cook from growing up on a farm but she never realized how much she would miss and enjoy having a home cooked meal. She was even well on her way to buying a new car. She may have to dip into her college funds, however. She really loved her wagon but on some days it couldn't handle the back and forth drives to auditions and it would be costly to repair it. Besides, she wanted to look more professional and a new car does that instantly.

Today was a very lazy day for Penny. It was Friday so she woke up and went for a run. Today she was feeling amped so she ran three miles. She came back and decided to have French toast with her eggs and bacon and put her coffee in her thermos to go. Class was really fun today and she was really getting to know Ann and a few of the other girls and one really cute guy named Jeff. He was her type but she really wasn't in the mood for dating. When she told him, he took it well, opting to be friends. She only had two auditions lined up for late afternoon so they all went for an early lunch, made plans to catch a movie Saturday night, and after her auditions she went to the market to get the ingredients that she didn't have to make lasagna. She was feeling fairly Italian for dinner.

Her car was sputtering a few blocks from home and her plans became resolute to buy a car next week. She grabbed both bags in one hand and happily jogged her way to the door, excited about the two pints of Ben and Jerry's and caramel sauce in one of the bags. She was fully intent on checking her mail and floating up the stairs but stopped short when she ran into Leonard.

For a moment he looked shocked. She had made it her business to avoid any of them to save from having an awkward moment. It was hard to do and sometimes she found herself spying on them from beyond her door. She'd learned that Priya and Leonard were back together and going strong, Bernadette and Howard had gotten engaged, Sheldon and Amy were over, and, after a fling with Penny's ex-boyfriend Zach, Amy was now dating Raj. She was hurt that she missed so much, especially Bernadette's and Howard's engagement announcement, but she was truly happy for them. She didn't hold grudges and she wouldn't make them feel bad for their decision to be loyal to Leonard. She did feel bad for Sheldon. He was the oddity to their group, more than ever now that everyone was paired off. Penny got this sick feeling that the dynamic in their group had shifted, leaving Sheldon all by himself—courtesy of Leonard.

He stared at her for a moment, his shocked expression quickly melting into a mask of anger.

"Hi, Leonard, how are you?" The stubborn Big ol' Five that she was, she wanted to stir his anger and speak to him. She figured she endured in silence enough. Leonard was such a sucker for attention that, even though he was angry with her, he would stay and hear what she had to say—if only to get a word in.

"The same as I was when you broke my heart." He ground out with a bitter, sour expression. She wanted to laugh at his childishness.

"Really," she said sagely. "I was jogging a few days ago and saw you kissing Raj's sister, Priya, in the parking lot. It sounds like you should be pretty happy to me." She didn't acknowledge him to see the plumped, redness of his cheeks and his sheepish expression. She got her mail and did a whoop when she saw a check from one of her completed commercials as he stomped angrily out the door. She did hear frantic steps down the stairs followed by Leonard's name in the only way Sheldon could say it. He stopped, poised by the stairs as he looked at Penny.

He cleared his throat several times. "Good evening, Penny, I hope you are well."

"Hiya Moon—" she stopped short as the familiarity of his Meemaw's nickname for him almost fell from her lips. She felt her eyes prickle at her lost relationship with Sheldon. She had considered him her best friend. Sure, he drove her crazy, but he also challenged her intellectually and they really got along well. She must have imagined the twinkle in his eye at the beginning sounds of her usual endearment. "I'm just fine, Sheldon. What about you?"

He shuffled awkwardly on his feet and looked down at the floor. "My work is progressing nicely and I have made leaps and bounds in my failed Arctic experiment. I have been going over it extensively to salvage some of the wreckage. I believe I will find something of value relevant to my work when the task has reached completion. My health is not suffering and I am having regular bowel movements."

"That's great, sweetie, I'm so happy for you." She really meant it. Sheldon could be a crazy bunch of bananas to deal with but deep down he was a teddy bear . . . well, one that didn't like to be hugged, or touched in general. That failed Arctic trip really messed up his career and although he didn't say much about those three months, she could see the pain in his eyes.

"You are?" He asked in confused wonder.

Now Penny was confused. "Of course I am, Sheldon. Why wouldn't I be?" Her arms sagged and she was reminded of the weight in them and the ice cream in her bag. "Do you mind if we finished this in my apartment? I have ice cream, milk, and cheese in my bags."

He nodded and gestured toward the stairs. They fell in step together, synced as if they've never stopped walking up the stairs together. When they got to her door, Penny set her bags by the door and Sheldon held her mail while she fished her keys out of her purse and unlocked the door.

When Sheldon walked inside after her, making sure to shut the door, he was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of Penny's apartment. It wasn't his standards of clean but it was a remarkable change in the usual duress of her apartment. He sat in his self-proclaimed spot and watched as Penny pulled food out of the bags and put them away. Some things she left on the counter and he surmised that it would be for her dinner tonight. She took out pots and filled one pot with water and put it on the stove under a medium-high heat. She collapsed the brown paper bags and put them and the plastic bags away before turning toward Sheldon.

"Would you like something to drink, sweetie? I have water, white milk, chocolate milk, coke, and orange juice."

"I'll have a coke, please."

"I have limes, honey, would you like me to make it a Virgin Cuba Libre?"

He pursed his lips in serious thought.

"I believe I will. What's life without a little whimsy?"

She poured his coke in a tall glass and cut a wedge of lime and stuck to the side of his glass and gave him a straw. She just grabbed a water bottle and walked over to the couch.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, sweetie."

"I take it by your stocked fridge and pantry and the ingredients on your counter that you've found yourself in a better financial setting?"

"Oh no, I don't think so buster. No questions for you until you answer mine. Why wouldn't I be happy to know you are doing well?"

"When you and Leonard terminated your relationship, I understood that things would become tense between you. This was only further cemented when Leonard made the grand announcement that we were not allowed to speak to you." She watched his brilliantly blue eyes roll toward the ceiling. "That man has more angst than a teenage melodrama. In the months that followed I have tried to speak to you, as I am not an idiot and will not listen to Leonard and his idiotic demands, but each time found little to no success. I have come to your apartment door on the weekends after 11 o' clock, as per your rule, but you have never answered. You have neglected to show up for laundry night and I have also found your presence absent on my Tuesday outings at the Cheesecake Factory. I was forced to come to the conclusion that you were avoiding me."

"Oh, sweetie," she didn't really know what to say. She never thought Sheldon would seek out her company after Leonard's angry outbursts, preferring to keep a hold on his tattered friendship with Leonard instead. She didn't think he would ever come knocking on her door. "I haven't been ignoring you. I've just been busy."

She sighed staring at his shinning, crystal blue eyes and she could see reflected back how much they both missed their friendship.

"I've been pretty unhappy with how my life was turning out. My fridge was always empty, my bills were always late, and I wasn't going anywhere with my career so I did a little revamping with my life. I still work at the Cheesecake Factory, I just don't work the floor as often. I was offered a manager position so I'm usually in the office, going over paperwork, working the front desk, or managing the kitchen and bar. I don't waitress anymore. I haven't been ignoring you. In fact, I thought you were staying loyal to Leonard and ignoring me like the others."

"It seems we both reached the wrong conclusions. I consider Leonard to be a great friend in my life but I would never listen to his ludicrous demands. He only has one PhD and his IQ pales in comparison to mine."

Penny laughed, enjoying the joyful sound and the way her belly tickled. She hadn't laughed like that in a while.

"So what's on the agenda for today? Isn't today Vintage Video Game night and Chinese food night?"

"You are correct, Penny. You haven't been a part of the group for three months, two weeks, and six days but you have managed to remember. Since Leonard has began another relationship with Raj's sister, Priya, he and the others have opted to abandon tradition and spend all of their time at Priya's new apartment."

"Priya has an apartment? I thought she was staying with Raj."

"Yes, well, Priya has resolved to stay in the United States and revert to only visiting India. Although I hate having my schedule altered in such a manner, I believe I dislike Priya as a person even more. So, the exchange is welcomed."

She couldn't help smiling as she looked at Sheldon. She had gotten back one of her friends and she was quickly making new ones at her class. That lonely feeling was slowly started to ebb away.

"I know you usually eat Chinese food and play your video games but you could join me for dinner and afterwards we can watch a movie and eat some ice cream with caramel sauce. You can even pick the movie and I'll make you another Virgin Cuba Libre." She gestured towards his empty glass. "You can even ask all the questions you want. Deal?"

"Very well, Penny, that sounds like a superb idea."

Penny turned to the kitchen to get started on dinner and Sheldon went to his apartment to get a movie. He knew Penny wasn't in the mood for his normal movie choices so he settled on _Sherlock Homes_ and _Sherlock Homes: A Game of Shadows_. Penny was happy with his movie selection and he helped her make a salad, not once complaining about her cooking methods.

After dinner, Sheldon helped Penny put the leftovers in containers and clean the dishes. They had two helpings of ice cream and watched both movies. The Carrie Diaries played in the background as Sheldon fired off question after question about Penny's life for the past three months. She felt an odd type of excitement fluttering in her chest when she went to sleep that night. All she could think about was warm, sweet coffee, bacon, and mini-golf with Sheldon tomorrow.

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**A/N:** Well, what did you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts so drop me a review. Please excuse any errors if I missed some.

_Read Review Enjoy_


	2. Chapter 2

**AN**: Sock puppet at a sausage factory! I love every single one of you who read this story, put it on favorite, alert, and have given me awesome reviews. You guys are loads of kick ass awesome! To my anonymous reviewers: please get an account so that I can show you the appropriate love. It's free and totally painless, I promise.

A lot of you are patting Penny on the back for giving up the gauntlet and moving on. I'm reading your reviews and I'm just thinking of where I'm taking things with the gang and I'm sure you'll be surprised. Maybe some of you won't be. I can't give much away but I will say I think Leonard is a dick and leave it at that. You guys also had a lot to say about Bernadette avoiding Penny. Relax, guys, it's just the first chapter. We'll learn a lot more about the group and their decisions later on.

_Read Review Enjoy_

**Disclaimer**: I do not own The Big Bang Theory but this plot and storyline is 100% mine.

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Sheldon often liked to spend time alone with his thoughts. He cherished those wacky _Anything-Can-Happen-Thursday's _because it was a chance for him to be alone. Since the status quo in his social circle has changed, he found himself alone frequently. Before, he didn't mind because he knew that they would return later in the evening. Now, it was if they were always gone. When they would hang out in the apartment, everything would be awkward. He didn't like Priya and while she hadn't openly shown hostility toward him, he knew that she also disliked him. Everything was changing and he didn't like change.

As he poured over his white board all the complicated equations circling around in his brain, his apartment always felt too quiet. Sometimes it was so quite he could hear the _drip drip_ of the faulty kitchen faucet, the low hum of the fridge, and the whistling wind outside. At night while he tried to sleep he could hear the cars going by his building and the sound seemed to echo in the quiet darkness of his room.

He couldn't remember a time where he was lonelier.

:::

Penny woke up a little later than usual. She wasn't use to staying up so late anymore. She and Sheldon talked well into the night, the clock on her nightstand blinking 12:05 before her head hit the pillow. She and Sheldon made plans to play mini-golf today. She had never seen him so eager for someone else's company, unless it was Leonard Nimroy, Stephen Hawking, or one of his other brainy or hero people he loved. It really made her wonder how things have been for him.

She decided to forgo the shower until she got back from her run, donning short shorts and one of her billowy workout tops over her sports bra. It was only late spring but the heat was still a force to be reckoned with. She threw her hair up into a high pony tail and laced her tennis shoes up by the door before hooking her IPod on her arm and grabbing her Walkman. She opened the door and bumped right into Sheldon.

She reached out quickly to grab his flailing arms to keep him from falling. She held on until he righted himself and then she let him go and looked up into his startled face.

"Good morning, sweetie, I didn't mean to run into you."

"Yes, well, I don't think anyone really means to 'run' into someone. I hope you are well this morning, Penny."

She shifted from foot to foot to keep moving. "I'm fine, a little sluggish, but I'll be much livelier after my run. I would ask you if you wanted to come, but last time that didn't turn out so well." She gave a cheeky smile.

He sighed and rolled his eyes, his disastrous running adventure with Penny flashing in his mind as if it happened yesterday. "I assure you Penny that I am in peak physical condition. I have informed you before that there was a rock in my way that I did not notice until it unfortunately came in contact with my knee as my body fell to the ground."

"Whatever you say, Wackadoodle. Does that mean you're going to come with me?"

"I have physically exerted myself enough this morning, thank you. I was just coming over to remind you about our impromptu game of mini-golf this afternoon. I have an eidetic memory but that can't be said for you. And, as I recall, you have a terrible memory."

She smiled and Sheldon looked anywhere but her face. It was like the first time they met all over again, becoming friends for the second time. "Don't worry, Moonpie, I won't forget." She patting his arm and started down the stairs, his voice floating down to her ears.

"Penny, only Meemaw can call me Moonpie!"

:::

After Penny came back from her run, she lounged on the sofa and caught up on some of her favorite programs she had been missing. Around one she decided to make lunch. She went to the door several times, wondering if she should invite Sheldon over. She didn't want to seem thirsty for his company, when she really was. Penny was always the center of attention. She never lacked friends; in fact, people would seek her out for her friendship. Whenever she wanted to do something she had dozens of friends on standby she could call and hang out with. She was always thankful for the ability to be social. During her time dating Leonard, she really closed herself off and limited her friends to just the gang. She didn't like this lonely feeling.

When she was a little girl she spent a lot of time with her Nana. Penny loved going to her house because her grandmother always had something to teach her. If it wasn't cooking and baking, she was teaching her how to knit and sew. She even taught her how to catch, kill, and pluck the feathers from a chicken. Nana made life on the farm fun but she was so lonely after Pop died. Sometimes she would talk to Penny about him and she'd have that vacant, glassy look in her eyes and it looked like the loneliness would swallow her whole.

One weekend she spent it with Nana helping her get ready for the Harvest Festival. They backed all kinds of cookies and pies and apple cider. Penny was still afraid of the dark then so she went to Nana's room to sleep. She stopped when she heard her broken sobs and hoarse whisper of Pop's name. Penny recalled herself sounding the same when her cat Daisy got hit by Mr. Wilson's tractor. It was all broken and sad and it made Penny's chest hurt and her throat burn. She rubbed it but it didn't make it better.

Nana talked about death with such reverence, as if it would make everything better. Penny resolved to spend more time with Nana. Her parents didn't miss her presence, they were busy with her siblings, and she felt her time was better spent cheering up Nana. If Penny could make Nana as happy as she made her, maybe she wouldn't be so sad all of the time. After her Nana died when she was 18 years old, she promised herself she would never feel that crushing, inescapable feeling of loneliness that made Nana miss Pop so much.

She was lonely, incredibly so. She wasn't use to be alone for so long. She didn't know her new friends enough yet to just invite them over so she craved to have her reconnection with Sheldon reaffirmed. She walked back and forth from the kitchen isle to the door several times before finally deciding to just do it. She was never a coward and there was nothing Sheldon could say that she hadn't already heard. She knew he liked to be alone but everyone liked soup and grilled cheese, right?

She thrusts open the door only to come face-to-face with Sheldon on the other side, his hand ready to knock.

"Penny"

"Sheldon"

They spoke at the same time and looked away when they caught each other's eye. Penny sighed on the inside. She felt like a toddler going to kindergarten for the first time and trying to ask someone could she play with them.

"Lunch"

"Movie"

They spoke at the same time again, this time holding eye contact. Penny knows she's not imagining his eager expression.

"Both?" Penny asked. She knew without a doubt that the answer would be yes. Sheldon is not as open with expressing his emotions as Penny but she was able to read his expression like the pages of a book. She had a feeling deep down that he was just as lonely as she was and she felt much more like herself knowing this.

"What would be the underlining components of lunch?" He asked.

"Sandwiches and soup is on the menu."

"What kind of sandwiches and soup?"

She rolled her eyes but the smile never left. "Chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches."

"This is a lunch my mother often made for myself and my siblings. She always said, 'You can't go wrong with soup, bread, n' cheese'."

"Then that means you are staying for lunch?"

"Yes, I believe I will."

"What movie did you get?" She asked while opening the door wider for him to enter.

"Bring,"

"Huh?"

"You mean to say, 'What movie did you bring?'" She sighed quietly. She even missed him correcting her.

"Sure thing, sweetie, what movie did you bring?"

"I have chosen the SyFy thriller _Species_. It has enough nudity and sex to sate your primal urges. I must warn you, it does not contain shoe shopping."

"Don't worry, I think I'll survive." She said sarcastically.

"Mistress Sarcasm: my mortal enemy."

She shook her head. The leftover soup was on the stove warming and she was assembling sandwiches and heating a skillet. "I thought Will Wheaton was your mortal enemy."

"Penny, Penny, Penny! I am the most prominent mind the world of science will ever know. My name will be engraved on the cornerstone of history. As a result, I shall have many mortal enemies. Alas, it is the fate of all geniuses. Would you like to see my list? It is comprised in the order of unadulterated hate to mild discomfort."

"Maybe I'll look at it another time." Her back was to Sheldon while she stirred the soup and grilled the sandwiches. The smell was making her salivate. "I wouldn't happen to make it on this list, do I?" She remembers all the arguments they had gotten into and pranks they pulled on each other. She knew she was on this list at one point.

"There have been several infractions made by your person over the years. You've touched my food, been in my room, talked to me through the bathroom door, you frequently steal food and mooch off of our Wi-Fi and your brazen personality and Nebraskan man hands have been quite the nuisance but I find that I cannot equate your presence to discomfort."

She whirled around to stare at him but his eyes were firmly planted on the television screen. Sheldon wasn't one for compliments. Of all the things he's ever said to her, this had to be the sweetest thing. She wondered if it was too early to get a hug from him.

She looked at his lightly tented pink cheeks and thought it would be too much.

"Food's done!"

He opened his mouth to correct her but she stopped him. "If you say anything I will put my hands inside your shirt and touch you all over."

He wisely sat down in the only other seat at her small dining table. She grabbed two glasses and the pitcher of ice tea and joined him. He sat staring at his food.

"Is something wrong? I know it's leftover soup but you know nothing is going to happen to you if you eat it."

"Penny, I grew up in a trailer in Texas. Next to guns and church, leftovers are the essentials of a Texian home."

"Then what's wrong?"

"You put cabbage in your soup."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, my Meemaw puts cabbage in her soup."

She could recognize a moment with Sheldon when she saw one. She knew how important his grandmother was to him. "I think it may be something with all grandmothers. My Nana would make cabbage like this and she taught me how."

He nodded his head absently. "Did you know there are many legends surrounding cabbage? Roman mythology holds that cabbages sprung from the tears of Lycurgus, King of the Edonians. Egyptian pharaohs would eat large quantities of cabbage before a night of drinking, thinking the consumption would allow them to drink more alcoholic beverages without feeling the effects. Some truth is believed to be found in this since Bloody Mary's, a drink made as a hangover remedy, is made from sauerkraut. Captain Cook swore by the medicinal value of sauerkraut back in 1769. His ship doctor used it for compresses on soldiers who were wounded during a severe storm, saving them from gangrene. Eating cabbage or other greens is considered good luck on New Year's Eve by many because the green leaves are representative of money"

_Only Sheldon_, she giggled in her mind. "So if I stuff my face with this soup I'll get rich?"

"It's only a legend, Penny, complete hokum. The only thing you will accomplish is indigestion and flatulence."

"Sounds sexy,"

He frowned. "That doesn't sound sexy at all. In fact, females would consider this the exact opposite—oh." He stopped short, catching on to the joke.

"Bingo," Penny said around a mouthful of cheesy-goodness.

He laughed his breathy laugh, his eyes dancing with light amusement. At that moment her cell phone went off and she jumped up to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Penny, it's Ann."

_Ann Movie. Uh-oh _"Oh, hey Ann."

"It sounds like you forgot." She could hear her trying to repress her laughter.

"I didn't forget, it just slipped my mind."

"Sure it did . . . are we still on? The guys were thinking we can get a bite to eat before we go. Some pizza place called Geronimo or something."

"You mean Giacomo's"

"Yeah, that's it!"

"Uh . . . give me one second."

"No problem."

She covered up the ear piece and turned to Sheldon. "Sweetie, I completely forgot that I made plans tonight with some of my friends to see a movie. They want to eat some pizza at Giacomo's first."

"When would you like to reschedule our plans?"

He sounded so resigned that Penny wanted to hit him in the head to knock some Sheldon back into him. "I'm not canceling, sweetie, I'm inviting you. We can go to the golf course early, and meet them at the restaurant. I'd like for you to meet my other friends."

"I . . . I've never been invited to meet friends. What do I do?"

Sometimes Penny looks at Sheldon like a normal guy she grew up with and went to school with and then something happens that reminds her that he didn't have a very normal childhood. And, just like that moment when her grandmother died, she was stuck with a feeling so sudden that it threatened to burst from her chest: sorrow. For the second time in her life, she would make a promised she vowed to keep.

She promised to be the best friend Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper, B.S., M.S., M.A., Ph.D., Sc.D would ever have.

"You just be yourself, sweetie." She turned her attention back to her phone.

"Ann, do you mind if I bring a friend."

"The more the merrier! See you at six?"

"Yeah, we'll be there. Bye."

"Bye."

Sheldon had finished his food while she was on the phone. Not a drop of soup was left in the bowl. He burped and mumbled excuse me.

"Come on, sweetie, let's watch us a freaky, hot alien girl movie."

:::

Leonard, Priya, Howard, Bernadette, Raj, and Amy were all sitting in apartment 4A when Sheldon returned. Everyone turned to stare at him after he closed the door, the movie clutched in one hand, his keys in the other.

"Good evening ladies, gentlemen . . . Howard."

Howard grumbled while Bernadette rubbed his back.

"Dude, where have you been?" Raj asked. He had gotten over his inability to talk to or around women and feminine men.

"Gentlemen, I do have a life outside of your company and my professional endeavors. This has been enough banal chit-chat for tonight. Please excuse me." He headed toward his bedroom to grab his Batman wallet. His Vulcan hearing was able to hear their conversation in the living room

"Is he working on some type of experiment a Caltech?" _Raj_

"I don't think so. He didn't have his bus pants on." _Leonard_

"Do you think he's been talking to the Maintenance guy in the basement about the scuff marks on the floor between 2A and 2B and in the lobby?" _Howard_

"No, he only shows up during the work week."_Raj_

"Maybe he has a girlfriend." _Amy_

"And they were on a date." _Bernadette_

Leonard, Raj, and Howard looked at each other before bursting at the seams with laughter.

"What's so funny?" _Priya_

"Sheldon dating." _Leonard_

"But he dated Amy." Priya

"No offense, Amy, but you are like the feminine version of Sheldon only you like to do the horizontal tango?" Howard

"Sheldon is one of the most brilliant minds of this generation. I could never be offended by being compared to him. And I do, as they say, like to bump the uglies. I find that Raj satisfies my primal urges with wild abandon. It makes me feel like Jane in _Tarzan_." _Amy_

"We . . . we didn't _need_ to know that." _Howard_

Sheldon shut and locked his door and headed back the way he came. He didn't acknowledge their conversation. His mamma always said, "Don't argue with no fool, boy."

"Where are you headed?" Leonard asked.

"I will be playing mini-golf and then watching a movie."

"One of those hot interns stalking you again?" Howard asked.

"No, I was invited to attend with Penny and her friends." He said matter-of-factly.

Things became quite tense, mostly for Leonard, at the mention of Penny's name.

"Oh, whatcha going to see?" Leonard asked. No one could pretend they didn't hear the edge in his voice.

The villain inside of Sheldon laughed heinously. He knew that Leonard forget to mention his childish demands about Penny to Priya. Watching him squirm was better than his Meemaw's peach cobbler. No, make that store bought peach cobbler. Nothing was better than his Meemaw's peach cobbler. Mmm, perhaps he would ask if she could send a care package with the aforementioned dessert.

He would have ignored Leonard's question if it wasn't for the look on his face. It was the same scrunched expression he got when he was constipated.

"As you weren't invited, I can't possibly see how it's any of your business. Now, I must be going. Ladies, gentlemen . . . Howard." He turned and left.

"Oh, burn!" Howard laughed, unable to let the moment pass by.

"Dude, which moment are you talking about? The one where he burned Leonard or the one where he burned you . . . twice?!"

"Oh, shut up."

_Knock Knock Knock_

"Penny"

_Knock Knock Knock_

"Penny"

_Knock Knock Knock_

"Penny"

"You ready to go?" She asked. She replaced her comfy sweats and flip-flops with cut off shorts, a t-shirt that bared her midriff, and a sparkly silver flats.

"Yes."

"Okay, let's go. You and Jeff are going to get along. He's always going on about some cartoon called Naruto."

"Naruto is a Japanese anime, not a cartoon."

"Yeah, whatever, I thought you would know what it is. Now he'll have someone to talk to about it that will actually listen. When he talks I just pretend he's Dwayne Johnson asking me do I want to see what's under his championship belt."

Their voices faded as they got down the stairs and Sheldon was too far away to hear the click of the door to apartment 4A being shut.

:::

"So," Penny started as she got in the car, "what does it feel like to have your ass handed to you by a girl?"

They played ten rounds before they ended, much to Sheldon's dismay. Penny won six rounds to his four and he declared that she only wanted to stop to keep her lead.

"You did not 'hand me my ass' it is still very firmly attached, thank you. Your Nebraskan man hands and aversion to sports gave you a slight advantage. I assure you if I had proper time to analyze the field before we played you would be the one metaphorically missing an ass."

"Whenever you are ready for me to defend my title, just name the time and place. I will kick your ass whenever you want me to."

They both glared at each other playfully until she saw Ann wave from in front of the restaurant.

"Hey Ann," She jogged ahead to give her a hug. Sheldon trailed behind awkwardly. When he got close enough she looped her arm through his.

"This is my best friend, Sheldon Cooper. Sheldon, this is Ann Robert. She's in my acting class and is amazing."

"Ann, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He did not hold out his hand but she didn't mind.

"Any friend of Penny's is a friend of mine. The others are inside getting a table."

She pulled Penny's arm forward so they could walk huddled together. "Ooh, he's cute and tall and sounds smart. Why isn't he your boyfriend?"

"Oh, you think he's cute like you think Jeff's cute?" She teased, dodging her second question. She really liked Ann for her personality. She wasn't afraid to say what was on her mind but at the same time she always considered other's feelings.

"No, Jeff makes me want to cut into an alley and let him defile me any way he likes. Sheldon is the type of cute that makes a girl want to pull him in the back of the car and corrupt his nerd mind."

She shook her head and considered it. Sheldon was definitely cute. She thought so when she first saw him and she still does but she never thought of him in that light. She looked over her shoulder to picture it and when saw his entire face was as red as his Flash t-shirt she was reminded of his freaky hearing. Her boisterous laughter echoed around the restaurant and she pulled him to the table to meet the rest of her friends.

She had stuffed herself with pizza and was going to overcrowd her already full tummy with milk duds at the theater. Sheldon was busy arguing about something called fuuton rasen shuriken and mega chidori nagashi with Jeff and she and the girls were talking about their upcoming class Monday and the auditions they've been on.

As they left the restaurant and headed to the movies, she thought this night couldn't get any better.

::::

**AN:** Growing up, we would always eat black eyed peas and cabbage on New Year's Eve to bring in the New Year. My grandmother would nail a piece of cabbage to the entrance of every door in the house and would replace it every New Year. It would symbolize good luck and wealth. Does anyone else have any odd traditions with food? It doesn't have to be cabbage, lol!

P.S. I am a MEGA Naruto fan. Where my anime fans?!


End file.
